


Not Looking Away

by FiKate



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Childhood Memories, Drinking & Talking, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-07 11:09:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11622321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FiKate/pseuds/FiKate
Summary: Not long before the events ofRogue One, Cassian visits Maz Kanata's cantina and she looks at him. She sees hints of his future and reminds him to live in the present. This fic is inspired by me wondering about Maz's line inThe Force Awakens: "I have lived long enough to see the same eyes in different people."





	Not Looking Away

“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” –Lao Tzu

Cassian was tired, the puzzle pieces were starting to come together but it seemed as if every piece of information cost too much. It wasn’t his job to rescue anyone, but he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been able to save someone. He breathed in and there was home, Fest in spice and warmth and he opened his eyes to Maz Kanata putting a mug in front of him, “Are you working, captain?”

“No,” Her eyes drew him, Maz saw everything, he didn’t know how but she did and he’d never felt safe lying to her. 

“Good, if you had been. I would have words with that general of yours. I should anyway with you looking ready to fall asleep,” Her voice was businesslike and kind, he didn’t know why she cared. 

He’d only visited Takodana a few times, Maz didn’t allow politics or like eavesdroppers in her cantina which he respected. That meant that he never felt truly welcome as all he ever did in cantinas was talk to informants and spy. He straightened up, he was good at looking alert and more together than he felt, “Just a long journey.” 

“And that droid of yours? Shouldn’t he be the one telling you that you work too much? Drink your hot chocolate,” She took his caf away and put the hot chocolate closer and he wrapped his hands around it, feeling awkward. It didn’t make sense for her to know that much about Kay but other members of the Rebellion spent more time here, that’s how she must know.

“He makes people nervous, he’s with the ship,” Too many people here would shoot first and ask questions later and he couldn’t risk Kay.

“And you’re not really here,” She leaned closer to him, adjusting her glasses and he sat as still as he could and wondered what she saw.

“I am, thank you for the hot chocolate. I haven’t smelled anything like it in a long time,” He was always searching for spices from his childhood, but all he had was memories of smells and a few names.

Maz sighed, he hoped she wasn’t disappointed in him, that shouldn’t matter with how little he came here but she saw into the truth of people. And he knew that his own truth was blood and darkness, nothing that she would approve of. She gently touched his nose and said, “Be here, captain, and follow the light in the puzzle, it suits you.” 

Then Maz moved back and disappeared into the crowd, Cassian took a sip of his hot chocolate and allowed himself to slip into the memories. He’d pull apart her other words later and how she knew that kyber was part of the puzzle.


End file.
